Free Republic

California's action-star governor pledged in his first State of the State address in 2004 to "blow up the boxes" of the state's bloated bureaucracies. But that campaign fizzled like a box office dud -- one that Gov. Schwarzenegger has apparently forgotten. The governor on Tuesday announced his support for SB 162, which the Senate passed in January. The measure would split emergency health duties from the Department of Health Services. The result: A new state bureaucracy, the Department of Public Health, would concentrate exclusively on preparing California to address a bioterror attack or an epidemic, such as the avian flu....

Arnold's second State Of The State Address to the California State Legislature.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Still pushing to get a budget agreement as soon as possible, negotiators from both the administration and legislative leaders went behind closed doors to work on remaining issues - including money for schools and universities, public health programs and local government. Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Monday appointments to a new state commission that will promote his much-anticipated reorganization of the state government. In January, Schwarzenegger promised to "blow up" the bureaucracy to eliminate inefficiency and waste. Since then, a team of about 300 state employees and consultants have been working on the reorganization plan. Although the...